Tripura Rahasya was considered by Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi as one of thegreatest works that expounded advaita philosophy. He often quoted from it and regrettedthat it was not available in English. As a consequence Sri Munagala Venkataramaiah(now Swami Ramanananda Saraswathi) took up the work of translation in 1936 asanother labour of love, adding just one more English translation to his already extensivestore. This was first published in parts in the Bangalore Mythic Society's Journal(Quarterly) from January 1938 to April 1940 and afterwards collected into book form, of which five hundred copies were printed and privately circulated. The Asramam has sincetaken over the copyright and made it one of their official publications.The work originally in Sanskrit is widely known in India and has been translated into anumber of local languages, but I do not know of any previous translation in English. It isregarded as one of the chief text-books on Advaita, the reading of which alone issufficient for Salvation. Sri Ananda Coomaraswami quotes from it with appreciation inhis book, "Am I My Brother's Keeper?"I for one much appreciate the present translation which will now be easily available for all who know English. Sri Ramanananda Saraswathi has put us under a great obligation by his painstaking work. It will surely be a gratification to him to know that his labour of love has at last found a permanent abiding-place and will not be lost to futuregenerations, for many of whom it must become a spiritual text book.

CHAPTER IX- How that Hemachuda Realised the Self after Analysing His ownMind and Plunging withinCHAPTER X- On Further Instructions by His Beloved, He got Samadhi in spiteof His External Activities and Remained in the State of Emancipation even whileAliveCHAPTER XI- That the Cosmos is not other than IntelligenceCHAPTER XII- The Appearance of the Reality of the Universe depends on theStrength of Will of CreationCHAPTER XIII- How Wakefulness and Dream are similar in Nature and Objectsare only Mental ImagesCHAPTER XIV- How the Universe is Mere Imagination; How to gain thatStrong Will which can create it; and the Highest TruthCHAPTER XV- On what need be known and need not be known and on the Nature of the Self CHAPTER XVI- On Consciousness; Control of Mind; and SleepCHAPTER XVII- On the Uselessness of Fleeting Samadhis and the Way toWisdomCHAPTER XVIIICHAPTER XIXCHAPTER XX- Vidya GitaCHAPTER XXI- On the accomplishment of Wisdom, its Nature and ScripturalLoreCHAPTER XXII- The ConclusionAPPENDIX I- To Chapter VAPPENDIX II- Siddha Gita from Yoga VasishthaAPPENDIX III

INTRODUCTION

Sri Tripura Rahasya is an ancient work in Sanskrit which has been printed all over India.The latest and best edition was brought out in the Kashi Sanskrit Series in 1925. The book is said to have been printed once before and issued in loose leaves. There was alsoan edition in book form printed in Belgaum towards the end of last century.* (Theoriginal Sanskrit text unfortunaeely appears to have been out of print for some years.)The esteem in which the work is held for its sanctity may be gauged from an account of itgiven in the Preface to the Maahaatmya Khanda. Mahaadeeva originally taught theHighest Truth to Vishnu who in turn taught Brahma in the Celestial regions. Later Vishnuincarnated on Earth as Sri Dattaatreya, the Lord of the Avadhuutas (the naked sages), andtaught it to Parasuraama with the added injunction that it should be communicated toHaritaayana who would later seek the Truth from him. Parasurama thus realised the Self by the guidance of Sri Datta and dwelt on the Malaya Hill in South India.